What is the difference between Scotch, Irish, American (Bourbon) and Single Malt Whiskies

There are whiskies, and there are whiskeys.

There are Scotch Whiskies, Irish Whiskies and American Whiskeys, also widely known as bourbon. There are malted barley whiskies and there are other grain whiskies, like rye, corn or wheat whiskies. There are also blended whiskies, a hybrid of different grain types combined to generate yield, usually marketed at a lower price point.

Single Malt whiskies, like the Hellyers Road range, are almost exclusively distilled in a sole distillery using one batch of malted barley. These represent the purest of whisky types and the ultimate in whisky crafting, usually aged a minimum of three years before bottling takes place.

While the raw ingredients used in whisky distilling carry a strong determination over the end result, it is generally the wood (cask) selection that has the strongest influence on the flavour profile and quality. Timber selection and age in cask predominantly determines the taste, colour, nose and any other unique attributes of an individual whisky varietal.